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Abstract:

In Brief:

Safe knee function under all real-world conditions is a crucial factor in the prescription of specific prosthetic knee mechanisms. While many amputees have reported the subjective belief that the electronic C-Leg combines increased function while walking with increased safety, to date there has been little objective evidence to support this claim. This study was designed to identify biomechanical differences that would permit objective evaluation of the relative safety in critical situations of three different prosthetic knee joint designs: the 3C1 (Mauch SNS hydraulic system), 3R80 (rotary hydraulic system) and C-Leg (electronically controlled hydraulic system).

Abstract:

In Brief:

There are little quantitative data comparing the performance of different types of prosthetic components, and prosthetic prescription is often based on empirical knowledge and experience, rather than objective comparison of prosthetic designs. This study used gait analysis to objectively evaluate the stability characteristics of two types of prosthetic knee designs, the polycentric Total Knee 2000 (Ossur, Aliso Viejo, CA) and the single axis 3R80 stance control knee (Otto Bock Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN).

Abstract:

In Brief:

This study examined the effects of shoe heel height on the roll-over shapes of seven prosthetic ankle foot systems. The systems could not adapt to small changes in shoe heel height without experiencing changes in the orientation, measured as forward shifting, of their roll-over shapes. Alignment changes to properly orient the roll-over shape when wearing shoes of different heel heights requires a manual adjustment. Future designs could attempt to provide systems that can adapt automatically to changes in shoe heel height, perhaps using an invariant roll-over shape as a design constraint.

Abstract:

In Brief:

Children's heads grow fastest during the first 12 months of life, followed by continued growth at a much slower pace. This study aimed to determine if there is a difference between results of cranial remolding orthosis therapy for children with plagiocephaly who complete at least half of the therapy earlier than 12 months of age (young group) and those who complete at least half of treatment at or after 12 months of age (old group). Results showed similar amounts of asymmetry correction with the old group as with the young; however treatment length was almost doubled, thus highlighting the advantage of starting treatment early.

Abstract:

In Brief:

Nine months after a transfemoral amputation, a deconditioned 82-year-old man was fit with a C-Leg as a component of the definitive prosthesis. As a result of physical therapy intervention, the C-Leg knee prosthesis and personal goals, this patient retained the ability to care for his dependent wife. This case highlights the importance of incorporating objective, evidence-based measures in the justification for reimbursement of prosthetic componentry. Simple, low-cost, minimally technical and time-intensive measures such as heart rate, THR calculation and walking tests are useful as adjuncts to clinical prosthetic patient management and for tracking patient progress between components, through physical therapy treatment and simply over time.

Abstract:

In Brief:

An alternative to the standard amputation method is osteomyoplastic transtibial amputation, commonly called the “Ertl procedure, ” which aims to maximize the regenerative process following amputation through remodeling guided by surgical reconstruction and post-operative rehabilitation. A standard for physical therapy management following osteomyoplastic transtibial amputation needs to be described in order to guide future controlled study. This paper describes the typical clinical presentation and current physical therapy management practiced in patients with osteomyoplastic transtibial amputation, the “Ertl procedure.”